With nearly 30 new players on hand, some two-thirds of them rookies, and a brand-new offense to learn, the learning curve was steepened significantly.

“We put a lot in these three days,” coach Scott Linehan said. “I don’t know the percentage but it is a whole lot . . . a whole lot more than in the past. That’s why we started with the whole group and had these lengthy days, so we could put the time in. Part of it is that while we’re putting a lot on them mentally, we also have expectations of what we want to get out of each play, too. You just can’t do that without spending the time. That’s been a big emphasis as well. . . .

“We had to get a lot in for (the rookies) so they could take it home and digest it and come back and give it another go so it’s not the first time they’ve heard it. We’ll review a lot next week. We’ll do some of things we probably wouldn’t do with the young players as far as the installation and the expectation (level) next week with the veterans. We need to expose them to lot. We just want to see the retention and see how they respond when they come back a week from Tuesday.”

Organized team activities start Tuesday, but because of NCAA rules, rookies can’t participate until the following week.

***

First-round draft pick Chris Long hardly got kid-glove treatment. Defensive line coach Brian Baker was in Long’s face early and often, as he tries to get his starting right end prepared as rapidly as possible.

Long didn’t have many “wow” moments, but he didn’t do anything to suggest that he hadn’t earned his No. 2 overall status, either. Tackle Orlando Pace, who didn’t participate in team drills during minicamp as he recovers from shoulder surgery, pointed out with a smile that Long got a pass by not having to go against the perennial Pro Bowler.

“He’s out there working, though,” Pace said. “I’ve been taking a look at him, and I think he’ll help us out big time this year.”

***

No one is going to tab the Rams as division favorites, and that’s just fine with running back Steven Jackson. “I’m excited because the NFC West, we’re not supposed to win it. And I think a lot of people that aren’t true fans don’t realize how close we are from putting this thing back together,” he said.

***

Notes & quotes:

>>WR/KR Dante Hall flashed the kind of explosiveness that he had before a lingering ankle injury short-circuited his ‘07 season.

>>The offense ran a number of plays that sent TE Randy McMichael downfield, especially over the middle. McMichael was rarely used that way last season.

>>DC Jim Haslett dialed up a fair number of three-front sets during team drills.

>>OC Al Saunders’ playbook is approximately the size of the New York City phone book.

All for now . . .

***

***

Notes & quotes:

>>The team will have just one minicamp this spring, a full-squad session from Friday through Sunday at Rams Park. There will be no separate minicamp for rookies, as has been the case in the past. Minicamp is closed to the public.

>>The 12th annual Bowl-a-RAM-a is scheduled for June 3 at Tropicana Lanes in Richmond Heights. Fans can bowl side-by-side with Rams players, and the proceeds go to the Epilepsy Foundation of the St. Louis Region. For reservations or further info, call (314) 645-6969, or go to www.EpilepsyFoundation.org/StLouis.

All for now. . .

Donnie Avery, 17

Yvenson Bernard, 33

Vernon Bryant, 71

Kennen Burton, 14

Matt Caddell, 6

Chris Chamberlain, 57

John Greco, 79

Vince Hall, 56

Rodney Hardeway, 69

Josh Hyman, 11

Doug Jones, 47

Justin King, 32

Marc Magro, 55

Brandon McAnderson, 44

Justin McKinney, 43

Roy Schuening, 67

Stephen Sene, 72

Josh Thompson, 64

David Vobora, 58

Russ Weil, 38

***

Notes & quotes:

>>Dominique Byrd’s trial in St. Louis Circuit Court has been continued yet again. Byrd, a tight end drafted by the Rams in the third round in 2006, is facing felony charges of assault and armed criminal action stemming from a nightclub scuffle downtown in December 2006. In March 2007, he was charged with DUI in California. In October, he pled no contest and received three years’ probation. On Monday, the Rams released Byrd.

>>Dedrick Harrington, the former Mizzou linebacker signed recently as a free agent, is being switched to tight end.

>>Third-round draftee John Greco, a tackle from Toledo, swears that his arms actually measure 33 inches, and not 29 inches, the number that had been circulating. “I don’t know where they got that,” he said.

>>Fourth-round pick Justin King, a cornerback from Penn State, is a movie buff. ““I love going to the movies. It’s a big thing for me,” he said. His favorite? “Gladiator.”

>>Chris Long’s brother, Kyle, is a highly rated pitcher at Florida State. Chris would like to see him land in St. Louis, too. “I called him on my way back from the draft and I said ‘Play for the Cardinals, man,’” Chris said. “We’re in an awesome sports city, and I know baseball is big here. I mean, who knows? Wouldn’t that be cool?”

All for now. . .

Then, Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long was cited as the overwhelming choice for the Rams, getting 10 nods. Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston and LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey received four votes each, with Virginia defensive end Chris Long garnering only two.

A day after the Dolphins assured that Jake Long would be the No. 1 selection by signing him to a contract, we went back to check out the updated mocks. This time, Chris Long was the big winner, the choice of 11 mock drafters. Dorsey had six votes and Gholston three.

The only sure thing — if there is a sure thing in any draft — the J. Long signing means is that the Rams will go defense with their first-round choice. The guess here is that they’ll take Dorsey, with the prospect of him and Adam Carriker patrolling the middle of the line for years to come just too enticing to pass up.

We’ll know for sure just after 2 p.m. Saturday.

***

Notes & quotes:

>>Tackle Orlando Pace, recovering from shoulder surgery, is looking positively svelte at 320 pounds. “I’m trying to slim down,” Pace said. “The older you get, the weight is a big deal. I’m just trying to be in the best shape possible.”

>>Punter Donnie Jones attended the recent Country Music Awards in Nashville with the Bucs’ Kevin Carter, the former Rams defensive end. The two were teammates with the Dolphins in 2005 and 2006.

>>The Rams will spend three days in Nashville scrimmaging the Titans before opening their four-game preseason schedule there in early August. Next year, the Titans will travel to the Rams’ training camp site.

>>The last time the Rams had the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, it worked out pretty well. They took SMU running back Eric Dickerson, who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

All for now . . .

***

The release of the regular-season schedule “is always a big day,” Linehan said. “It kind of sets the tone for what you’re looking at. You see where you’re going to play, when you play your division games . . . the whole deal changes. It really affects a lot of people, and usually in a positive way, as far as motivation. Already our coaches are wanting to get the breakdowns for Philly; they want to know who to start working on.”

***

Twenty-six draft prospects were at Rams Park on Tuesday, including LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. All met with coaches and front-office personnel; some were given physicals. No workouts were allowed.

“My biggest value is to see these players interact with each other,” Linehan said. “You get to see a side of them that maybe you don’t get to see on film or (in) a prepared statement at the Combine. . . . You put them in this environment, and it’s a little more low key for them.”

As much contact as the Rams already have had with the top candidates for their No. 2 overall spot in the April 26-27 draft, this final visit can be critically important, Linehan stressed. “It’s like any job interview,” he said. “You have someone that’s coming in and interviewing for a job, no matter what the business is, if they don’t pull that part of it off, it’s going to affect their ability to be employed.”

***

The team is expected to decide on a training-camp site soon, possibly by the end of the week. A Rams contingent has been touring potential locations and is due to return to town Wednesday. “We’re going to evaluate the sites and then make a decision,” Linehan said. “I’m getting antsy to get that done.”

All for now . . .

Informed that the Rams plan to bring in a speed coach this year, cornerback Tye Hill immediately nominated himself for the position. “They might let me take over that; I could do it,” said Hill, a former standout sprinter at Clemson. “I’m trying to get faster, actually. I’ve been working on my lower body a lot during this offseason, since I couldn’t do anything with my upper body.”

That’s because Hill was recuperating from a serious wrist injury that ended his season in early December. “It was the most painful injury I’ve ever had, without a doubt. It was just excrutiating pain. It was terrible,” Hill said. “I’m finished with injuries. I can’t get hurt anymore.”

***

Defensive back Ron Bartell is heading into the final season of his original four-year contract. That means he could become an unrestricted free agent after the season and boost his salary dramatically. That isn’t foremost on his mind, he insisted.

“Right now, the money situation, I’m not really worried about that,” he said. “Personally, I have some goals, and we have some goals as a team. If we accomplish those, I’ll be happy.”

One of those is making the playoffs. “The worst feeling in the world is that first week, when you’re at home watching the wild-card games,” he said. “Ever since then, I’ve been ready to go.”

***

Quarterback Trent Green brought a veritable library of offensive coordinator Al Saunders’ playbooks with him to St. Louis. “I have several of them from my years in Kansas City,” Green said. “The terminology I’m sure will be very familiar for me. Some of it will be pretty familiar for Marc (Bulger), because it’s similar to what Mike (Martz) ran when he was here.

“Al tweaked it a little bit when we got to Kansas City, just to make things work with o-line coaches and those kinds of things. And I’m sure Al’s couple of years in Washington, and now with the coaching staff here, there are going to tweaks here and there. But for the most part, it’s going to be the basic offense than I ran in Kansas City.”

***

Tackle Glenn Dorsey has received an endorsement from former LSU defensive linemate Claude Wroten as the Rams prepare for the April 26-27 draft. They have the No. 2 overall pick and were impressed by Dorsey’s performance at his recent pro day.

“The two years I played with him, we had a lot of fun,” Wroten said. “If he comes here, true enough it’d mean more competition. But I’d welcome him.”

All for now…

In fact, Green, defensive end Little, wide receiver Torry Holt and tackle Orlando Pace are the only holdovers from the Super Bowl championship team.

“It’s a good and a bad thing,” Green said. “That good thing is, it means we’ve lasted a long time. The bad thing is, a lot of our friends and close teammates that we’ve had over the years have moved to different (teams) or different places in life.”

***

Green, 37, is preparing for his 15th NFL season. Before his first go-round here, he spent one year in San Diego and then four in Washington. After leaving the Rams, he was with Kansas City for six years before playing the ‘07 season in Miami.

At each stop, Green has moved his family with him, a practice he plans to continue here. “I’m going house-hunting, start looking around,” he said. “Fortunately we’ve already sold our home in Florida. We’ll be staying down there until the kids are out of school in June, and then we’ll relocate up here.”

Trent and his wife, Julie, have three children: sons T.J. and Derek, and daughter Janelle.

***

Once he gets the family here, “I’ll try to get them over to as many (Vianney) games as I can,” Green said.

“I’ve tried to stay involved with the school as much as I can and have helped out with some of the projects that they have going on over there,” he explained. “There’s a lot of competition going on in the St. Louis-area high schools ever since CBC built their campus, and you look at some of the expansion that DeSmet’s done and SLUH’s done. Vianney’s trying to keep up as best they can, and they’re doing a good job of it.”

***

After suffering several concussions, Green decided to consult with Dr. Robert Cantu, a specialist in the field, before deciding whether to continue playing. Green chose him because Cantu is known to be particularly cautious with athletes who have had multiple concussions.

“I knew his history, I knew his background, and I knew how tough he was on giving guys clearance,” Green explained. “So when he gave me that clearance, that gave me confidence about wanting to come back. I knew I wanted to play, but I also wasn’t going to put my health or my family in jeopardy of something happening. When he felt comfortable with it and gave me the assurances that he did . . . it made everyone comfortable with it.

“Hopefully that chapter is closed and we’ve moved on from it.”

All for now…

Hall’s successor on the right side could come via the draft - perhaps Virginia’s Chris Long or Ohio State’s Vernon Gholston. But penciling in a rookie starter is always a bit of a gamble. Among the options currently on hand are Victor Adeyanju, Eric Moore and perhaps even Claude Wroten, although that has to rank as a remote possibility.

Bottom line: Haslett’s crew needs significant help. How - or if - that help arrives likely will go a long way toward determining how much of an improvement the Rams can reasonably be expected to make in ‘08.

***

Draft had quite a scare recently. He lives on the 22nd floor of a high rise near the CNN Center in downtown Atlanta and had a too-close-for-comfort view of the tornado that struck March 15.

“I was on my balcony, and the tornado was right there,” Draft said. “I could see all the debris swirling around in it.”

Draft’s building was not damaged.

***

Notes & quotes:

>>Head-scratcher: The Rams’ decision not to go hard after free-agent C Justin Hartwig. He wound up with the Steelers.

>>Just a guess: The Rams, who have the second overall pick in the draft, trade down. Too many needs to be addressed.

>>Long reportedly did only linebacker drills at Virginia’s pro day this week, a benefit for 3-4 teams such as Miami, which has the first overall pick.

>>Newly hired QBs coach Terry Shea, good Irishman that he is, converted the area that houses coaches’ offices on the second floor at Rams Park into a St. Patrick’s Day haven Monday. His decorations included an Irish flag, green balloons and doughnuts. Plus, he had Irish music pumped in throughout the day.

All for now…

Let’s look at these three areas:

>>Linehan, clearly on the ropes after the club’s inelegant 3-13 pratfall in ‘07, made a bold stroke in hiring Al Saunders as offensive coordinator. Saunders brings a wealth of experience, and the move signals that former OC Linehan truly is committed to immersing himself in his HC role and finally leaving the offense to others.

Now, both of Linehan’s coordinators are former NFL head coaches, an indication that he’s not afraid to surround himself with key aides who tote long and impressive resumes. That’s an important asset for any leader.

According to several sources, Steve Loney should be a significant upgrade over Paul Boudreau as offensive line coach, an area of vital importance heading into the coming season. QBs coach Terry Shea has a solid reputation and should be able to help fine-tune Marc Bulger’s game, something his predecessor, Doug Nussmeier, was unable to do.

Art Valero (running backs/assistant head coach) gives Linehan another veteran NFL mind to tap into, and by all accounts, Ron Milus (secondary) was ready for a promotion.

>>The addition of Jacob Bell, the presumptive starter at left guard, provides Loney with several options. Mark Setterstrom figures to get a long look at center. If that doesn’t work, Richie Incognito could move back to center, with Setterstrom sliding over to his spot at right guard. And incumbent center Brett Romberg certainly is in the picture, too.

Kicker Josh Brown is a more-than-suitable successor for the retired Jeff Wilkins, and Ben Becht could be the hard-blocking tight end that Linehan has been seeking since arriving here.

The Trent Green signing also makes sense, particularly since Linehan has given up on the two-quarterback strategy that backfired last season and figures to bring in a young QB for grooming.

>>The team took a gamble a couple of years ago on Tony Softli, whose personnel experience was mainly limited to college players, and it didn’t work out well. Devaney has plenty of pro and college experience, and he will be the clear leader in personnel matters, something that had been lacking.

Still, the Rams still have plenty of work ahead of them in shoring up several obvious areas of need (e.g., defensive end, cornerback, wide receiver) on the field.

Can all be addressed in the draft? Probably not. So, the shopping bag might still be open.

***

Watching Brett Favre’s retirement news conference brought the unfortunate release of Isaac Bruce even more into focus. It’s a shame that Bruce couldn’t have finished his career with the Rams, but loyalty and emotion don’t have a place in the big business of pro football these days.

With so many areas to address, the Rams simply couldn’t afford to keep Bruce at the salary he was due. It was the right decision, however wrenching it might have been to Bruce’s many fans.

How strange will it be to see Bruce in the Niners’ red and gold . . . with Mike Martz perched on the SF sideline?

All for now. . .

>>Linehan, clearly on the ropes after the club’s inelegant 3-13 pratfall in ’07, made a bold stroke in hiring Al Saunders as offensive coordinator. Saunders not only brings a wealth of experience, but the move also signals that former OC Linehan truly is committed to immersing himself in his HC role and finally leaving the offense to others. Now, both of Linehan’s coordinators are former NFL head coaches, an indication that he’s not afraid to surround himself with key aides who tote long and impressive resumes. That’s an important asset for any leader.

According to several sources, Steve Loney should be a significant upgrade over Paul Boudreau as offensive line coach, an area of vital importance heading into the coming season. QBs coach Terry Shea has a solid reputation and should be able to help fine-tune Marc Bulger’s game, something his predecessor, Doug Nussmeier, was unable to do.

Art Valero (running backs/assistant head coach) gives Linehan another veteran NFL mind to tap into, and Ron Milus (secondary) was ready for a promotion.

>>The addition of Jacob Bell, the presumptive starter at left guard, provides Loney with several options. Mark Setterstrom figures to get a long look at center. If that doesn’t work, Richie Incognito could move back to center, with Setterstrom sliding over to his spot at right guard. And incumbent Brett Romberg certainly is in the picture at center, too.

Kicker Josh Brown is a more-than-suitable successor for the retired Jeff Wilkins, and Anthony Becht could be the hard-blocking tight end that Linehan has been seeking since arriving here.

The Trent Green signing also makes sense, particularly since Linehan has given up on the two-quarterback strategy that backfired last season and figures to bring in a young QB for grooming.

>>The team took a bit of a gamble a couple of years ago on Tony Softli, whose personnel experience was mainly limited to college players, and it didn’t work out well. Devaney has plenty of pro and college experience, and he will be the clear leader in personnel matters, something that had been lacking.

Of course, as promising as the offseason moves appear, their true value won’t be determined for some time. Plus, the Rams still have plenty of work ahead of them in shoring up several obvious areas of need (e.g., defensive end, cornerback, wide receiver) on the field.

Can all be addressed in the draft? Probably not. So, the shopping bag might still be open.

***

Watching Brett Favre’s retirement news conference brought the release of Isaac Bruce even more into focus. It’s a shame that Bruce couldn’t have finished his career with the Rams, but loyalty and emotion don’t have a place in the big business of pro football these days.

The Rams simply couldn’t afford to keep Bruce at the salary he was due. With so many areas to address, they badly needed the cap space. It was the right decision, however wrenching it might have been to Bruce’s fans.

How strange will it be to see Bruce in the Niners’ red and gold . . . with Mike Martz perched on the SF sideline?

All for now. . .